


fine

by HiddenObscurial



Series: mcu one-shots [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Iron Man 3, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 23:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18508840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenObscurial/pseuds/HiddenObscurial
Summary: The thought of New York made his breath quicken again, and he stumbled, bracing himself against the wall. Suddenly, his throat felt sotightand hecouldn’t breathe-





	fine

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing a Marvel fic, hope it doesn’t clash with any canon because I’ve only just gotten into the fandom and I’ve only watched up to GOG1. Just had to write this after watching IM3.

_Tony flew through the streets of New York, shooting down each of the alien hovercrafts with his repulsors. He had to get to the missile before it hit New York._

_He broke free of the swarms of aliens and sped towards the incoming nuke, bracing himself as he circled round and grabbed the missile. On his heads-up display, he could see the distance between him and the city ticking down - 1km... 500m... 200m... 50m..._

_He pulled up just before he hit the buildings along the coast of Manhattan. In his ear, Jarvis was chirping warning after warning - “Sir, the suit does not have enough power, you will not be able to fly back down to safety.”_

_”I know what I am doing, Jarvis. Just keep going.”_

_Ahead of him, he could see the gaping wormhole in the sky above his tower. More alien crafts poured out of it, swarming down towards the civilians along the streets._

_As he accelerated towards the wormhole, Jarvis spoke to him again. “Should I call Miss Potts, sir?”_

_”Yes. Do it,” he replied. On his heads-up display, the call dialogue popped up, and the phone started to ring._

_The wormhole was just a few metres away now. This close up, he could see the hundreds of starships in the space above him, their engines lit up in blinding blues and greens and purples._

_”We are running out of power, sir,” Jarvis warned._

_”Jarvis, I know!” Tony shouted, speeding further and further into the wormhole. Red warning lights flashed across his heads-up display. The phone kept ringing._

_He pushed even more power into the repulsors. The main ship was getting closer and closer by the second._

_He stared at the dialogue box on his heads-up display, praying that Pepper would pick up any second now._

_She did not._

_The dialogue box flashed red and disappeared from his display._

_All he could feel now was the sinking feeling of fear._

_He would die here. And he wouldn’t get to say goodbye to Pepper. Wouldn’t get to tell her all the things he should have said while he still could._

_His power was on 1% now._

_With a final push, he sent the nuke towards the main starship, and turned towards the exit of the wormhole._

_Then, his heads-up display went black, and he was hurtling towards the ground._

-

Tony sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard. His shirt was soaked through with sweat.

It took him a few seconds to orientate himself. 

_Just a nightmare._

He looked down, and realised that his arm was outstretched, his palm pointing towards the wall. 

Slowly, he lowered his arm. “Jarvis, where’s Pepper?”

“She is asleep, sir,” came Jarvis’ reply. 

“What time is it?” He hated how shaky and fragile his voice sounded. 

“It is 3:47 A.M.”

“Lights at a hundred percent, please.”

The lights in his room came on. He took a moment to catch his breath before getting up from the bed. 

“Sir, you have only had an hour and a half of rest in the last 72 hours. I highly recommend you go back to sleep-“

“I know what I am doing, Jarvis,” Tony snapped. 

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and walked down to the lab, resolved to spend the rest of the night working on his suits. As he stepped into the lab, he was greeted by the whir of machinery as his bots powered to life. 

He went over to the main control panel and pressed a switch. The wall in front of him slid open, revealing the racks containing the suits he had built since New York. 

The thought of New York made his breath quicken again, and he stumbled, bracing himself against the wall. Suddenly, his throat felt so _tight_ and he _couldn’t breathe-_

The world seemed to sway around him as he slid down to the ground, his numb fingers unable to grip onto anything tightly enough to keep him upright. He tried to close his eyes, but the image of the wormhole was burned into the back of his eyelids - he could only see the lights of the starships hovering above him, hear the distant cries of the people on the streets and the roar of the nuke he was holding, and then the sound of his suit powering down-

“Are you alright, sir? Your heart rate has quickened and you seem to be short of breath,” Jarvis said. 

Jarvis’ voice pulled him back to reality. 

He steadied his breathing before replying. “I’m fine.” 

_I’m Iron Man; I should be fine,_ he thought. 

_I have to be._


End file.
